Duluth RBA
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-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *October 5, 2000 *MNDU0010.05 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: October 5, 2000
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert (kreckert@cp.duluth.mn.us)
Transcriber: Kim Eckert (kreckert@cp.duluth.mn.us)
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)
This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, October 5, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
As mentioned on last week's report, there have been problems with the
telephone answering machine on which the Duluth Birding Report is recorded,
which might make the tape unintelligible. If this problem cannot be
corrected, note that this report will still be available on the MOU's
website at
Several birds of note were reported in Duluth and elsewhere in N E Minn
recently, most notably a PACIFIC LOON at L Winnibigoshish, a SURF SCOTER
and THREE-TOED WOODPECKER in Cook Co, a BOREAL OWL, BLACK SCOTER and an
apparent CAROLINA WREN in Duluth, VESPER SPARROWS at two locations, and a
SMITH'S LONGSPUR in Lake Co.
Peder Svingen found the Pacific Loon at L Winnie in Cass Co last weekend,
the first report in N E Minn this season of this rare-regular fall migrant
(although one was also seen at Wisconsin Pt in Superior two weekends ago).
To reach the location of this loon, go W about 2.5 mi from the town of Bena
on U S Hwy 2, turn right on West Winnie Rd, and then take the first right
to Richard's Townsite on the lake.
Also last weekend, Dedrick Benz reported a Surf Scoter in the Grand Marais
harbor, the first scoter report on L Superior so far this fall. More
interesting was the Three-toed Woodpecker he saw the same day within a few
miles of the end of the Gunflint Trail N of Grand Marais: the location was
reported as 15.8 mi after the "Laurentian Divide" point-of-interest sign on
the Gunflint.
A very early Boreal Owl was unfortunately found dead in a yard in the
Lakeside area of Duluth on Sept 29, apparently the result of flying into a
window. This report along with the 5 Boreal Owls banded near Thunder Bay,
Ontario, a couple weeks ago certainly suggests there may be a significant
influx here this winter of this owl.
A Black Scoter was seen today by Mike Hendrickson near the Duluth Rowing
Club on the bay side of Park Point, and a Carolina Wren was reported at
Park Point Oct 2, but details of the observation are not known; the
location was apparently where the main grove of pines begins about 1/4 mi S
of the Sky Harbor Airport buildings.
Kim Risen reported both a Smith's Longspur and a Vesper Sparrow in Silver
Bay yesterday, Oct 4. The location was given as a field along the first
road which turns right off Hwy 61 after the stoplight in Silver Bay. Terry
Wiens also found a Vesper Sparrow in Duluth Oct 1 along Riley Rd just W of
Jean Duluth Rd, but he could not relocate it the next day.
Other birds of note reported recently include: the first GRAY JAY and the
first BOREAL CHICKADEE of the season along the North Shore, which were seen
Oct 2 and Oct 4 respectively; a late BOBOLINK in Two Harbors yesterday, the
4th; and a WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL seen last week in the Sax-Zim Bog along
St Louis Co Rd 52, 1 mi E of Owl Ave or 4.5 mi W of Co Rd 7 -- and note
this species has been seen at this location off and on since June.
At Hawk Ridge the raptor flight has been steady recently, with a few
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS and GOLDEN EAGLES starting to show up -- and one of
these Golden Eagles was banded today, only the 9th one ever netted at
the Banding Station. Several NORTHERN GOSHAWKS are now seen on almost
a daily basis, and there was a good movement of PEREGRINE FALCONS late
last week, with a near-record 20 seen Sept 29 and 12 counted on the
20th. With much colder weather arriving today and forecast to last
until Sunday with favorable NW winds, the outlook looks good for the
raptor migration at the Ridge this weekend.
Unless something unusual is seen in the meantime which needs to be reported
immediately, this report is normally updated once a week on Thursdays, so
that the next scheduled update will be on October 12. The phone number for
the Duluth Birding Report is (218) 525-5952, and callers can report bird
sightings if they wish after the tone at the end of each tape. Messages
can also be left without having to wait for the report to end: to do this,
after the tape starts playing push 5 on a touch-tone phone, the tape will
stop, the tone will sound, and you can then leave your message.
The Duluth Birding Report is sponsored and funded by the Minnesota
Ornithologists' Union (MOU) as a service to its members. For more
information on the MOU, either write us c/o the Bell Museum of Natural
History,10 Church Street SE, Minneapolis MN 55455; or send an e-mail to
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